Fluid drive



Dec. 2, 1941. J. E. LOWTHER 2,264,473

FLUID DRIVE Filed March 11, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nventm AttorneyEHQHZIW 7 \I L W W a I Dec. 2, 1941. J E LQWTHER 2,264,478

FLUID DRIVE Filed Maich 11, .1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 20 I v l Inventor226v aw/A r fizwaardh.

Attorney Dec. 2, 1941. .J. E. LOWTHER 2,264,473

' FLUID DRIVE I Filed March 11, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 5' Inventm VAttorney Dec. 2, 1 941. ow 2,264,478

FLUID DRIVE I Filed March 11, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor AttorneyPatented Dec. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in socalled fluid drives forautomobiles and more particularly to auxiliary clutch mechanismtherefor.

By way of explanation, in certain fluid drives. of commerce, forautomobiles, characterized by a motor operated driver or impeller, and afluid impelled runner, or driven member, when the mo-' tor is stoppedthe runner, or driven member of the drive is free to idle and beingconnected to the rear end of the automobile only through the automobileclutch and transmission, the automobile is free to coast on a gradeunless the parking brake is effectively applied. Obviously, if settingof the parking brake is neglected, or, in the event that said brakefails to hold, serious damage may result by coasting of the automobilewhen parked on a grade, or, in the event that the motor stalls on anup-grade and theparking brake fails.

Having the foregoing in mind, it is the principal object of my inventionto equip such drives with simply constructed, efiicient mechanismwhereby when the motor stalls, or is stopped, a direct drivingconnection is automatically established between the motor operateddriver and the rear end so that the compression in the motor will serveto prevent coasting of the automobile.

Another object is to provide for breaking the connection as an incidentto operation of the motor at a speed suflicient to render the fluiddrive efiective.

Other, and subordinate, objects are alsocomprehended by my invention,all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvemerits, willbe readily understood when the succeeding description and claims areread with ref erence to the drawings accompanying and forming part ofthis specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in top plan and partly intransverse section of a fluid drive equipped according to my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail view in transverse section taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 44 of Figure I Figure 5 isa fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating the operating meansfor the auxiliary clutch, and

Figure 6 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in sideelevation of said means.

Reference being bad to the drawings by numetals, the type of fluid drivewith which my invention is more particularly concerned embodies a hollowoil-containing driver, or impeller I, forming a fly wheel, and equippedwith the usual starter gear 2 on the same, said driver being bo1ted, asat 3, to the crank shaft 4 of the motor. not shown, for rotation by saidshaft and having therein fins 5 for causing the oilto'swirl around inthe driver. The runner, or driven member, 6 is housed in the member 1and is of the turbine rotor type fluid impelled in a manner which willbe understood; The runner 6 is bolted, as at 1, to an annular flange 8on the front end of a sleeve 9 whereby said sleeve is operative by therunner. The sleeve 9 extends axially into the driver I and is journalledat its front end in bearings 10, with its rear end extending out of saidmember i and having fast thereon the hub of the usual power transmittingor driving clutch plate H forming part of the usual clutch I2 foroperating the driven shaft l3 of the transmission, not

shown, said shaft being journalled in the sleeve -9 by roller bearingsl4, l5.- The parts l5, l1, I8,

I 9 and 20 are elements of an oil seal assembly through which the sleeve9 extends in the member l and which-being well understood in the artneed merely be identified in passing. The parts of the described driveare enclosed in the usual housing 28 forming part of the crank case ofthe motor.

According to my invention, an auxiliary mechanical clutch is providedbetween the clutch plate i! and the driver, or impeller, as follows.Fast on the hub 2i of said plate I! is a flat,

I annulanclutch member 22 having internal, transverse keys 23 fittinginto similar grooves 24 formed in said hub 2i, said member havingtransverse peripheral teeth 23 therein.

Opposed to the annular clutch member 22 is an externally toothed,annular clutch member 24 freely rotatable around the sleeve 9 and havinga radial edge flange 25 suitably secured, as by welding, not shown, tothe driver, or impeller, l concentrically of the same and of said clutchmember 22. The clutch member 24 is of the same diameter as clutch member22 and opposed edgewise to the latter closely contiguous to the same.

An annular, internally toothed coupler 26 encircling the clutch member22 is slidably inter-- fitted therewith for shifting thereon over theclutch member 24 into mesh with the teeth of the latter to therebycouple the clutch member 22 to the clutch member 25.

A suitable oil-containing housing 21 is mounted on the clutch member 24and hub 2| in'surrounding relation thereto and by hearing rings 28 inwhich said member and hub are adapted to ro- 'fltted in a peripheralgroove 32 in said coupler,

slots 33 in said arms 30, and a pair of diametrically opposite studs 3|on said ring extending into saidslots.

As will be manifest, rocking of the shifter shaft 29, and hence theshifter arms 30, in opposite directions will shift the coupler 26 intoand from coupling position relative to the clutch members 22, 24.

At a suitable point, preferably on the crank case of the motor, ahydraulic cylinder 34 is provided having a piston 35 operative underhydraulic pressure to project a piston rod 36 from the cylinder inopposition to a suitably arranged spring 31 in the cylinder normallyretracting the piston and rod. The piston rod 36 is operativelyconnected to the rock shaft 29 by means of a crank arm 38 on one end ofsaid shaft and a link 39 having its opposite ends pivotally connected tosaid rod and crank as at 40, 4|, respectively, the connection being soarranged that in the retracted position of the piston 35 and rod 36,said shaft 29 is held in normal position in which the coupler 26 is heldin coupling position on the clutch members 22, 24.

The cylinder 34 is provided with a suitable fluid inlet line 22 adaptedto be tapped into the'oilpressure line, not shown, of the motor, notshown, so that as soon as pressure is caused in said line by operationof the motor such pressure is introduced into the cylinder 313 so as todrive the piston 35 in a direction to project the rod 36 and thereby,through the described connections 38, 39, rock shaft 29 in the properdirection to shift the coupler 26 from coupling position.

As will now be manifest from the foregoing, when the motor is stopped,or has stalled, the coupler 26 is shifted into coupling position tothereby connect the driver i to the runner El so that in effect, therear end, or differential, not shown, is locked to the motor crank shaftIt and the automobile will be held against coasting by the compressionin the motor.

As will also be manifest, in order to start the motor without drivingthe automobile through the starter, it is essential that the coupler 25be shifted to uncoupling position relative to the clutch member 24. Tothis end, means are provided for manually operating the link 39 in theproper direction 'to rock the shaft 29 from normal position inopposition to the spring 31, so as to shift the coupler to uncouplingposition.

The manual operating means comprises a plunger rod 43 suitably securedto the starter pedal, not shown, and adapted for operation underdepression of said pedal to swing a lever 44 pivoted, as at 45, on thecrank case of the motor. A draw link 46 operatively connects said lever44 to a second lever 41 pivoted, as at 48, to the housing 20, said pivot48 together with a lug 49 on the lever 41 forming a .rule jointconnection between the lever 41 and a lever 50 swingable on the pivot 48and operatively connected to the link 39 by a. compensating slot and pinconnection 5|, 52, serving a purpose which will be clear. The Jointconnection 48, 49, provides for movement of the. link 39 underprojection of the piston rod 39 independently of the operation of thedescribed manual operating means.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention, since the operation and advantagesthereof have been set forth in full in connection with the descriptionof parts.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept, and right is hereinreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoinedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fluid drive including -a motor operative driver, a powertransmitting clutch, and a fluid impelled runner operatively connectedto said clutch, an auxiliary clutch between said power transmittingclutch and driver normally e'ngaged, means operative by fluid pressureto disengage said auxiliary clutch and adapted to be rendered effectiveby operation of the motor,

and manually operative means for operating said first mentioned meansindependently of fluid pressure.

2. In a fluid type motor drive for automobiles having an oil pressureline and a starter pedal, a motor operative driver, a power transmittingclutch, a fluid impelled runner operatively connected to said clutch, anauxiliary clutch between said power transmitting clutch and driver,normally engaged, means to disengage said auxiliary clutch operative byfluid pressure and adapted for connection to said oil pressure line tobe rendered effective by pressure in said line, and means to operatesaid first mentioned means independently of fluid pressure and. adaptedto be operated by said starter pedal.

JOHN E. LOWTHER.

